I hear adults talk all the time about how difficult it is to make friends once you graduate from college.  It seems, for many grown ups, that the workplace is the easiest (and sometimes only) place to meet people your own age with similar interests.

So, does that mean that you spend your weekends and down time hanging with your co-workers?  More specifically, will you be ringing in the New Year surrounded by people you work with?

Why do I ask?

For many people, New Year’s Eve is a chance to cut loose and partake of the booze.  And boozing often leads to - well, making a gosh darn fool of yourself, to put it mildly.

Will you be singing loud and out of tune karaoke with your project manager?  Is your office manager going to be tagging you on Facebook with pictures of a lampshade on your head?  What are the odds of someone accidentally hitting on your boss before the ball drops?

And - do you care?

Like many people I know, I’ve formed really great friendships with the people I’ve worked with at various jobs.  Some of those friendships extended to after hours fraternization (wait, that just means hanging out, right?) and, on occasion, laughs shared over drinks.  At the time, it seems like a great idea.

But I’ve also experienced a handful of Monday mornings when I really wished I could walk into my office without my weekend persona walking in my shadow.  It can be difficult to have someone take you seriously in an office environment if they’ve become familiar with you in a social setting - especially if that social setting involves liquor.  By the same token, if you’re spending your off hours hanging out with your superiors, the lines of authority can be a bit blurry once everyone is back at work.

As a general rule, I try not to act like an idiot.  Period.  But if my co-workers or clients are in the mix, I like to make a concerted effort to keep my cool.  Most of the time.

What about you?  Do you keep your work and personal relationships completely separate?  Do you ever find the lines getting blurred - especially after a big holiday party and a few glasses of champagne?

Photo credit: Ollie Crafoord